The present invention relates to an interior trim piece for a vehicle, and more particularly to an adhesive backed molded trim piece which conceals exposed vehicle body portions within a vehicle interior.
Vehicle bodies are commonly painted a complementary yet different color from the vehicle interior. The vehicle body is typically painted prior to the installation of the vehicle interior and is painted on all surfaces. In many instances a vehicle interior fails to completely conceal all interior surfaces within the vehicle body. In such cases, the vehicle body color will be clearly visible as a contrasting color from the vehicle interior color. This may be noticeable in areas where a vehicle closure member such as vehicle doors, lift gates, hatch backs and the like, meet with the vehicle interior. For example, the vehicle body color on the interior of a vehicle door may be visible between the interior trim attached to the door and the interior trim surrounding the vehicle door. This is undesirable from an aesthetic standpoint and is of growing concern to discerning vehicle customers. Vehicle doors provide further difficulties, as seals for windows typically must extend over some portion of the vehicle door frame.
One know method of concealing the exposed vehicle body color is through the use of tape. The tape is color matched to the vehicle interior and is applied over the exposed vehicle body areas. However, areas which are most prone to being left uncovered by the vehicle interior are commonly of a complex shape having a multiple of curves. The application of tape to these areas is therefore likely to result in creases, bubbles, and wrinkles which defeat the purpose of providing an aesthetically pleasing interior. The tape also fails to match the texture of the vehicle interior. Moreover, the application of tape is time consuming and typically not conducive to an assembly line environment.
It is therefore desirable to provide an inexpensive way to effectively conceal painted vehicle body portions exposed between vehicle interior trim pieces while minimizing the effect on assembly line installation procedures.
The vehicle interior trim piece according to the present invention includes a plurality of layers sandwiched together. A primary layer is preferably a vacuum formed ABS plastic material which is formed to directly conform to an exposed surface portion of a vehicle closure member. The exposed surface portion is typically a portion of the vehicle closure member that is painted the color of the vehicle exterior and would otherwise be readily noticeable between interior trim pieces which are typically colored differently than the exposed portion.
An outer surface of the primary layer is the surface which is exposed after installation and as such is preferably of a color identical to the vehicle interior. Most preferably, the outer surface is textured to have an appearance indistinguishable from the vehicle interior trim.
In another embodiment an outer surface layer is sandwiched to the primary layer. Most preferably, the outer surface layer is a PVC film which is textured to have an appearance indistinguishable from the vehicle interior trim.
The surface opposite the outer surface layer is a pressure sensitive adhesive layer which coats the inner surface of the primary layer. The adhesive layer is covered by a backing material which protects the adhesive until the trim piece is readied for application. The trim piece is readied for application simply by removing the backing material and exposing the adhesive layer. Preferably, a removal tab extends beyond the outer perimeter of the trim piece to assist in efficient removal of the backing material. Because the trim piece is preformed to the shape of the exposed portion of the vehicle closure member the trim piece can be rapidly oriented in the correct installation position in an assembly line environment. Moreover, the preshaped and semi-rigid material of the trim piece assures a proper fit and a high quality surface.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a separation line for the removal of only a portion of the backing material. By removing a first backing segment of the backing material, a second backing segment remains in place over the adhesive layer. The trim piece can then be initially positioned on the vehicle closure member using only the adhesive layer which is exposed below the removed first backing segment. Because the entire adhesive layer is not exposed, the trim piece can thereby be located in its correct position while minimizing the possibility that the trim piece could fold back and become attached to itself. The separation line also provides other installation advantages. By installing a portion of the trim piece between a window seal and a vehicle door frame, the trim piece can be initially positioned without removing any of the backing material.